Acetylene generator



Aug. 15, 1933. wEND'rLND 1,922,649

ACETYLENE GENERATOR FiledApril 18. 1931 Patented Aug. 15, 1933 ACETYLENEGENERATOR Heinz Wendtland, Altona, Germany `Application April 18, 1931.Serial No. 531,139, and in Germany April 30, 1930 7' Claims.

The present invention relates to high pressure acetylene generators andparticularly to generators of this kind operating with a slidingcontainer or drawer for the reception of the carbide, and ischaracterized in that the device serving for the regulation of the watersupply is arranged in a separate tubular container located outside ofthe principal container, the said rst-named container being connected bymeans of connecting members or pipes of any desired length with the gasand water chambers of the generator or gas container. By this means avery comprehensive` arrangement is obtained together with a more rapidregulation of the water supply at the Water level of smaller area. Inaddition to this agreater degree of reliability is obtained, inasmuch asbetween the gas container and the Water loclt a tubular container isprovided which comes into operation if the latter fails to act andthereby renders the generator entirely free from the danger ofexplosion. All the operations for the regulating and ensuring againstdanger of the high pressure acetylene generator are effected r intubular containers of small diameter.

As a result of the arrangement of the regulating container in the mannerset forth, a rapid descent of the water level in the regulatingcontainer upon the shutting oiT` of the gas discharge valve is obtainedinasmuch as the `gas depresses the water level of smaller area existingin the said regulating container more rapidly than in the largeprincipal container, and furthermore, as the water pipe leading to theretorts is branched off from the regulating container, the supply ofwater to the retorts is interrupted immediately after the shutting offof the gas withdrawal pipe. The arrangement of the regulating containeroutside of vthe principal container according to the invention offersthe advantage that all the pipes and valves serving for regulation canbe clearly observed and are easily accessible and further that ifshutoff valves are provided in the pipes leading to the regulatingcontainer, the latter can be opened independently of theprincipalcontainer, i. e. without giving rise to losses of gas. Theprincipal containers according to the invention are of very `simpleconstruction inasmuch as they serve only for the storing of 'theacetylene, and the counter-pressure air and cooling and generatingWater.

In the case of large acetylene generating plants in which separatecounter-pressure containers are provided, or in apparatus in which theretorts are located in separate cooling tanks, the regulating safetycontainers according to the present invention likewise offerconsiderable advantages.

`Two preferred constructional forms of a high pressure acetylenegenerator provided with an .externally arranged regulating containeraccording to the invention are illustrated by Way of example on theaccompanying drawing, in

which:

Fig. 1 shows an acetylene generator according to the invention inlongitudinal section,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the said acetylene generator,

Fig. 3 shows a niodied simpler constructional `form of an acetylenegenerator according to the invention, and

Fig. 4 isa plan corresponding to Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing the generator consists of a closed container ainto which one or more retorts or generating chambers b are built at thebottom, whilst the counter-pressure or equalizing container consists ofan open bell c which is fixed concentrically within the container a.From the Water and gas chamber of the high pressure container theconnectors or pipes d and e lead to a closed regulating container f inwhich the same water level exists as that in the principal container. Inaddition to this gas pipes g lead vfrom the retorts or generatingchambers b to the container f, which pipes open into the gas space ofsaid last-named container and are provided With non-return valves h, inorder to prevent an escape of gas when the retort is open. A watersupply pipe i leading to the retorts is branched off from the containerf at the height of the normal water level. A non-return ap valve jprovided in the said pipe prevents the ascent of gas through the pipeand thereby ensures that a Water supply exactly corresponding to the gasconsumption is obtained under all working conditions. This arrangementof the water supply pipe also renders it possible without any furtherdillculty to build into the apparatus a distributing cock k when it isdesired to feed two retorts which are not intended to operatesimultaneously. In order to obtain a Water supply which correspondsexactly to the consumption o1' gas, the bore of the pipe e is madeconsiderably smaller than that of the pipe d, as a result of which, onthe shutting offof the gas withdrawal pipe l, the gas does not pass sorapidly through the bore of the said pipe e into the principal containerbut rst depresses the Water level in the container f very rapidly. As aconsequence of this the discharge of Water through the pipe i isinterrupted before the water level in the principal container a hasdescended to a corresponding extent.

In the constructional example illustrated in Figs. l and 2 a purifyingdevice b is arranged above the container f, which device is connected bymeans of a pipe m with a tubular safety container n, from which at thebottom a pipe 0 leads to the water sealing device or lock p. This latteris provided at the bottom with a nonreturn valve q and at the top in thegas chamber or in the filling closure a bursting diaphragm r isarranged. The pipe m of the container n is provided at its opening witha float valve t which is adapted to shut it off, if in the case ofnon-operation of the non-return valve q the locking water flows backfrom the water lock into the safety container. The locking water istherefore not pressed back into the principal container as was hithertothe case in known devices, and in addition to this the water lock isready for use again immediately after the occurrence of a stoppage ofthis sort, inasmuch as the locking water is not lost but is alwayspressed back again into the watei lock.

The acetylene can be withdrawn and passed onward in any desired mannerfrom the container f and it is also not absolutely essential that thepurifying device p should be arranged at the top of the container f asit can also, for example, be arranged as a separate container side byside with the generator. It is, however, essential that the dischargepipe connection of the container f is capable of being shut off by meansof a oat valve s, which valve comes into operation if the water afterthe gas in the retorts has been completely exhausted is sucked up by theoxygen of a burner-which may have been left connected to the generator.The oat valve s then prevents any passage of the water into thecontainer n.

The manner of manipulating. the generator will be clear from the drawingwithout further explanation. In Figure 1 of the drawing the retort onthe right-hand side is shown in the operative position and the retort onthe lefthand side is shown in the open position in which it is placedfor the purpose of interchanging the carbide tray or drawer. The handleu of ,the distribution cock 1c rests in this position in front of theclosure of the retort which is in operation, so that the latter cannotbe opened during the generation of gas.

In the case of small apparatus having only one retort, the water supplypipe z' can be united with the gas pipe g as shown in Fig. 3. The watersupply pipe is provided in the interior in the container f with ashut-oir member v which can be operated from outside by means of amanipulating member w. The gas pipe m in the case of small apparatus ofthis kind is branched off from the principal container a, but thearrangement of the safety container 'n and the water lock p is the sameas that employed in larger apparatus.

I claim:

1. In a high pressure acetylene generator, the combination of: acompressed acetylene container comprising a gas chamber and a waterchamber; a counter pressure container arranged within said compressedacetylene container so as to form anintervening space between said twocontainers constituting the gas chamber and part of the water chamberthereof; a separate tubular water supply regulating container arrangedentirely externally of said t'vo firstnamed containers and onlyconnected therewith by means of pipes; a pipe directly connecting saidregulating container with the water chamber of said acetylene container;and a second pipe of smaller bore than said rst-named pipe, directlyconnecting said regulating container with the gas chamber of saidacetylene container, substantially as described.

2. In a high pressure acetylene generator the combination of: acompressed acetylene container; a counter pressure container arrangedwithin said compressed acetylene container so as vto form an interveningspace between itself and the latter; a generating chamber arrangedwithinv said acetylene container below said counter pressure containerand separate therefrom; a gas chamber in said acetylene container; awater chamber in said acetylene container partly comprising theintervening space between said containers; a separate tubular watersupply regulating container arranged adjacent to said acetylenecontainer, but spaced away therefrom; a pipe directly connecting saidregulating container with said water chamber; a pipe of smaller borethan said first-named pipe, directly connecting saidv regulatingcontainer with said gas chamber; a`water supply pipe directlyYconnecting said regulating container with said generating chamber; and agas pipe directly connecting said generating chamber with saidregulating container, substantially as described.

3. In a high pressure acetylene generator, the combination of: acompressed acetylene container; a counter pressure container arrangedwithin said acetylene container with intervening space constituting agas chamber and also forming with said acetylene container a waterchamber; a generating chamber; a tubular regulating container locatedadjacent to, but spaced away from said first-named containers, andregulating the water supply to said generating chamber; a water chamberin said regulating container; a pipe connecting said last-named waterchamber with the water chamberof said acetylene container; a gas chamberin said regulating container; a pipe of smaller bore than said rst-namedpipe connecting said lastnamed gas chamber with the gas chamber of saidacetylene container; a gas pipe leading from said generating chamber tothe gas chamber of said tubular container; and a water supply pipeleading from the water chamber of said tubular container at a point nearthe water level thereof to saidl generating chamber, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a high pressure acetylene generator, the combination of: acompressed acetylene container comprising a gas chamber and a waterchamber; a counter pressure container arranged within said compressedacetylene container so as to form an intervening space between said twocontainers constituting the gas chamber and pai't of the water chamberthereof; a separate tubular water supply regulating container arrangedentirely externally of said two frst-named containers and only connectedtherewith by means of pipes; a pipe directly connecting said regulatingcontainer with the water chamber of said acetylene container; a secondpipe of Smaller bore than said first-named pipe, directly connectingsaid regulating container with the gas chamber of said acetylenecontainer; and shut-oil members in said connecting pipes, substantiallyas described.

5. In a high pressure acetylene generator the combination of acompressed acetylene container; a counter pressure container arrangedconcentrically within said compressed acetylene container so as to forman annular intervening space between itself and the latter; a generatingchamber arranged within said acetylene container below said counterpressure container and separate therefrom; a gas chamber in saidacetylene container;` a water chamber in said acetylene container partlycomprising the intervening space between said containers; a separatetubular water supply regulating container arranged adjacent to saidacetylene container, but spaced away therefrom; a pipe directlyconnecting said regulating container with said water chamber; a pipe ofsmaller bore than said first-named pipe, directly connecting saidregulating container with said gas chamber; a water supply pipe directlyconnecting said regulating container with said generating chamber; and agas pipe directly connecting said generating chamber with saidregulating container, substantially as described.

6. In a high pressure acetylene generator, the combination of:horizontal compressed acetylene containers, each comprising a gaschamber and a water chamber; horizontal counter pressure containers eacharranged within one of said compressed acetylene containers so as toform an intervening space between itself and the acetylene container,said space constituting the gas chamber and part of the water chamber; aseparate vertical tubular water supply regulating container arrangedentirely externally of said first-named containers and only connectedtherewith by means of pipes; pipes directly connecting said regulatingcontainer with the water chambers of said acetylene containers; andpipes of smaller bore than said first-named pipes, directly connectingsaid regulating container with the gas chambers of said acetylenecontainers, substantially as described.

' 7. In a high pressure acetylene generator, the combination of: alcompressed acetylene container; a counter pressure container arrangedwithin said compressed acetylene container so as to form an interveningspace between itself and the latter; a generating chamber arrangedwithin said acetylene container below said counter pressure containerand separate therefrom; a gas chamber in said acetylene container; awater chamber in said acetylene container partly comprising theintervening space between said containers; a separate tubular watersupply regulating container arranged adjacent to said acetylenecontainer, but spaced away therefrom; a gas chamber in said regulatingcontainer; a water chamber in said regulating container; a pipe directlyconnecting the water chambers of said regulating container and saidacetylene container; a pipe of smaller bore than said first-named pipe,directly connecting the gas chambers of said regulating container andsaid acetylene container; a gas pipe leading from the gas chamber ofsaid regulating container to said generating chamber; a water supplypipe arranged within said regulating container and united with said gaspipe leading to said generating chamber; a shut-off member controllingsaid water supply pipe within said l' regulating container; and amanipulating member co-operating with said shut-01T member and locatedoutside of said regulating container, substantially as described.

HEINZ WENDTLAND.

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